The government has signed a "travel bubble" deal with Saipan to exempt fully vaccinated people from mandatory quarantine upon entry. 

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Second Vice Transport Minister Hwang Seong-kyu and Saipan's governor Ralph Torres signed the agreement during a ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday. 

The U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is the largest island in the archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, is the first partner in South Korea’s travel bubble initiative. 

Actual travel under the deal is set to begin as early as late this month due to preparations, the ministry said. 

Under the agreement, travelers will be allowed to visit between the two locations without mandatory self-quarantine two weeks after receiving the second or final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The agreement is only for group tours. 

Vaccines subject to the exemption are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson. 

Travelers should submit a COVID-19 vaccine certificate and a certificate with a negative result for a virus test conducted within 72 hours prior to departure.